Chapter 23
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Lee Seo-jeong (1)
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“You're awake.”
“What a mess. Did you contact the family?”
“No, we didn't.”
“Good call.”
It took Guo Cheol-woong a full fortnight to get out of bed. Even after regaining consciousness, the marks etched across his body lingered as throbbing pain. No point replaying the duel in his mind—there was nothing to gain. He'd been utterly crushed, one-sidedly. It was the worst experience of his life, something he'd never endured before.
He had to admit it.
“He was a peak master.”
Gal Hyo-myeong nodded.
Every time he thought of Mujin, the spots where he'd been hit ached all over. He'd figured he could at least hold out if they went at it again. Fat chance! Even Guo Cheol-woong, one of the top three elders of Guo Family Manor, couldn't handle him. He needed to reevaluate not just Mujin, but Pine Tiger Sect as a whole.
“I'm going out.”
“You mustn't overdo it.”
He'd only just regained consciousness. Even with Guo Cheol-woong's sturdy frame, caution was the wise choice for the time being.
“Are you underestimating me too?”
“Not at all.”
His body ached, but there were no internal injuries. Guo Cheol-woong rose to his feet. The lingering traces still tormented his joints. Crack! With the sound of bones shifting, his blocked meridians realigned.
“Where's that punk now?”
“He's gone back.”
“Humiliated us and left, huh.”
“Not exactly.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“You'll understand when you see Cheon-un.”
Though his heart urged him to track the guy down right away, Guo Cheol-woong headed first to where his nephew was staying. There, he watched Un-yi training.
Hm?
It was unmistakably Lightning Sword.
But somehow, it was different.
The footwork, sword path, forms, and internal energy flow had all subtly changed. Had it broken free from Lightning Sword's framework? No, that wasn't it either. Un-yi's mastery wasn't complete yet, but if he kept flowing like that, Lightning Sword could shatter its stagnant mold.
Aha!
Admiration brought sudden enlightenment.
Guo Cheol-woong hurriedly sat cross-legged.
Gal Hyo-myeong confirmed the epiphany and sealed off the surroundings. He told Un-yi to stop his sword and stand by.
A fleeting insight.
When he came to, he chuckled.
“Heh.”
Guo Cheol-woong, who had lingered at the entry to peak mastery, had broken through. The wall that had blocked him crumbled. A small realization, but its value was incomparable to anything else.
“Un-yi, what happened?”
“Well...”
Cheon-un explained everything honestly.
Confirming the full story, Guo Cheol-woong plopped down in shock. Just a glance at the sword and a quick adjustment of his hand had elevated Lightning Sword to perfection. Was this something a mere peak master could do?
“I failed to recognize a titan.”
He was on another level entirely. Facing a sword against such a powerhouse and surviving was fortune enough. The jianghu wasn't about age or seniority—it was strength that proved one's worth.
“We'll let bygones be bygones.”
“Pardon?”
Gal Hyo-myeong doubted his ears. Had he heard right? Guo Cheol-woong was bold by nature, but he never forgot a grudge. For him to step back first...
“We'll forge friendly ties with Pine Tiger Sect. Contact the family too.”
“Understood, Elder.”
Crossing swords with a transcendent master brought no good. If he'd harbored real malice, he wouldn't have spared Baemun Merchant Group or Guo Family Manor. Above all, he'd extended a hand of compromise. Spurning it would only stoke more anger.
'He won't let slights slide.'
There'd be no next time—he'd seen it in the man's strikes. A thick scent of blood lingered in his moves. No enmities with such a figure.
'The Little Dragon Tournament will be something.'
So I gave him a good stomping.
That's how you handle it—crush them right at the start so they never bark again.
Leave any room, and they start thinking they're hot stuff.
It's for Yujin's sake too.
Mujin just kept spouting his side of the story.
Baek Yujin had no choice but to listen—though "listen" was generous. Her situation left no room for focus on anything else. The moment she looked away, even briefly, a fist came flying without mercy.
“...You trying to kill your sister?”
“You're a proper transcendent now. Don't whine over a little fist aura.”
“...This ain't your average fist aura!”
“Just your imagination.”
Muho had infused Pine Tiger Five Swords' essence into his blade, perfecting the chain assault. He'd unleashed sword aura at the pinnacle of illusion, beyond speed and variation—but one punch shattered it effortlessly.
'My sword veil ain't made of glass!'
He knew his brother was monstrously strong, but in the time apart, his internal energy seemed vastly deeper. Toying with a transcendent like him meant he'd already entered grandmaster territory in raw power. At that point, a plateau should be normal.
'Why's he getting even stronger?!'
Muho had trained relentlessly until sweat soaked his soles, yet his brother outpaced him. Unfair world or not, this was too much. After being overtaken five years ago, revenge felt like a distant dream.
“Little bro, when you gonna hit absolute mastery? Can't leave the house, I'm so worried.”
“Hitting transcendent at my age is plenty impressive!”
“I'm absolute.”
Wow, zero humility.
Big bro had none at all.
Maybe better when he was a punk.
“Absolute ain't for just anyone!”
“You're the family genius.”
“Quit slapping labels on me whenever!”
Unless he meant to bleed her dry, every spar—this wasn't even a spar. To him, maybe just pointers, but Muho staked his life each time. Slack off even a bit, and killing intent flew without hesitation.
“The jianghu's brutal.”
“Who'd think you had any jianghu experience!”
“Not bad, right?”
“...When the hell did you run away from home?”
“Bro says so, so learn it. Why so chatty?”
“...Just kill me!”
Mujin loved his brother as an elder should. It pained him to wield the rod of love, but what could he do? As Pine Tiger Sect's fame rose, challengers would flock. He couldn't handle them all personally.
He might be away from home.
'Get stronger, Muho.'
Only then could he venture out worry-free. And Pine Tiger Sect's overall might would rise. Family first—after his brother, the sect. For its hierarchy, rank mattered.
Boom!
Hard to believe fist met sword. Too fast to track visually. In the heightened senses of no-extremes no-self, their auras clashed. Speed alone didn't cut it. Each burst of aura fragments reshaped the mountain terrain.
Huff... huff!
After the life-or-death bout, Muho could barely right himself. Only after long rest did he recover.
“Guard the house while I'm gone.”
“I'm not some house dog. Overkill much?”
“Don't forget you're heir to mighty Pine Tiger Sect.”
“Heirs aren't miracle cures. Quit pinning it on me every time!”
“Isn't that what heirs are?”
“...No!”
No means no—why yell and rant!
Mujin's hearing was sharp. He caught every whisper. This was defiance, rebellion against big bro. There were rules: respect elders.
“Disrespect elders, and karma bites.”
“...You bullied that market granny!”
“When?”
“If you don't remember, guilty!”
“Forget the small stuff.”
Youthful folly. Drunk on the road, irritated, he'd kicked a veggie vendor's basket. Later, his brother apologized and paid up.
'Sorry, Granny.'
All part of tough love.
Admitting fault hurt his pride. Good thing Muho paid generously. Vowed never again.
'Owes me one.'
Many debts to his brother.
“Sorry.”
“Finally stop... huff!”
“Gonna make you tougher.”
“You psycho!”
“Heir to the sect, watch your mouth.”
Atoning with his best, yet taken wrong—awkward.
-Excuses even while getting beat.
'Persuasive, though.'
-Loaded with emotion.
'Grows up compared, what'd you expect.'
The brotherly bout ended warmly. Mujin sat on a stump; Muho sprawled flat. Drenched in sweat like rain, his training garb clung.
Clear sky above.
Muho swallowed gains from the emotional spar over grudges. Infuriating, but the life-or-death gains from his brother were immense.
Odd, though.
Brother wasn't just strong in martial arts. He handled any attack with seasoned poise. Felt like facing a battle-hardened veteran.
'Never leaves the area—how?'
To Muho, the genius was his brother. Maybe the old punk days were a ruse. But that didn't fit either.
“Quit daydreaming. Bath and head down.”
“Got it.”
Mid-mountain led to a hidden waterfall. Known only to locals, the valley saw few people.
Stripped bare and dove in.
Perfect for cooling sweat-soaked skin. Crisp, invigorating water cleansed body and soul.
Muho had seen his brother's body plenty, but it never got old. Flawless—steel-hard yet streamlined, no excess.
Splat! Splat!
Water bounced off like droplets on granite. Unintentional made it more astonishing.
“That body's cheating.”
“Man's charm is all here. Thighs especially. Hoo-yah!”
Muho grimaced at the naked posing. Confidence was ugly, but hard to argue. His own toned build paled in comparison.
“Never seen you train.”
“Training's sexy when unseen.”
Visible effort screams hard work; hidden grind births prodigies. Builds mystique. Not planned, but training continued.
-Living off handouts, eh.
'That's why you came back.'
War King Art perfected the body—a core trait. For Armed Combat, flesh transcended divine weapons.
-War King Art's incredible. Never seen a technique push the body to transcendence like this, and it's incomplete.
'Want it? Learn it.'
-Rubbing it in.
'Martial arts don't matter to us anyway.'
-Not quite.
For War King and Demon King, prowess trumped arts. Grandmasters created their own. Evolving old ones led to new realms—essential against future foes.